Emu captured after escaping from farm in Newtown Twp., Bucks County

Friday, July 5, 2024
NEWTOWN TWP., Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- An emu has been captured after it escaped from a Bucks County farm on Thursday night.

Police located the animal in a wooded area of the Rosefield neighborhood near Atkins Lane on Friday evening.

The news that the emu had escaped came late on the night of July 4th.

"I was not expecting a call for an emu running at 11 at night. That was a surprise," said Rosie Alfaro, one of the owners of Earth's Best Organic Farm.

Alfaro got a call from police about an emu that might be hers.



She said emus can't fly or jump, so she never thought it would break through their seven-foot deer fence.



"It got freaked out from the fireworks, literally busted through the fence and escaped. It ran away. They run very, very fast," Alfaro explained.

Luckily she didn't run too far. People in a neighborhood about a mile away came across the emu and tried to trap it.

"Police came, they were trying to keep him safe. They tried to chase it into the fence, but instead it got scared and went the other direction into the woods," explained Nadine Otterman.



Otterman was there as people tried to help. She too thought it was fireworks that spooked the emu.

"There were so many fireworks on all sides," said Otterman. "But I'm a little worried - he or she was limping."

The emu was indeed limping when it was found on Friday night. Officials say the bird will be taken to a veterinarian to be checked out.
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